Lake Nottely
Union County, Georgia3,970 acresView mapDirections
Georgia EPD publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Nottely. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
Lake Nottely in Union County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.9 µg/L. Surface area: 3970 acres.
Lake Nottely is a 3,970-acre mesotrophic lake in Union County, Georgia. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Union County, Lake Nottely ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Georgia EPD, last sampled 2025-07-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Nottely is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water3,970 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Nottely is safe to swim in today is a call for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Nottely
These are the measurements Georgia EPD publishes for Lake Nottely, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.9 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.9 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.9µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Nottely
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
3,970 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Georgia EPD
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Nottely, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Poteete CreekPublic
- Nottely DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Nottely
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Top-rated places to stay near Lake Nottely
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Fishing Lake Nottely
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 13 years of monitoring (2012–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening13 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.33 µg/L/yr13 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Nottely is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Nottely Dam (completed 1942), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Nottely River; rockfill-type dam, 197 ft tall and 2,300 ft long.
- Surface area
- 3,970 ac
- Normal storage
- 174,300 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 216,147 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 214 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- TVA
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Hydroelectric;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID GA29101 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Union County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Nottely
Where is Lake Nottely?
- Lake Nottely is a lake in Union County, Georgia. Its water-quality measurements are published by Georgia EPD and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Nottely?
- Lake Nottely in Union County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.9 µg/L. Surface area: 3970 acres.
Is Lake Nottely safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Nottely?
- Lake Nottely has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Poteete Creek, Nottely Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Nottely?
- Lake Nottely has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Georgia's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lake Nottely across LakeQuality
2 documented falls within 18 mi, nearest Trahlyta Falls
19 mi away · cable-pulled, no boat wake
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Georgia's top lakes, each with its readings
Georgia's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Georgia
Other Lakes in Georgia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Georgia
Where this data comes from
224 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division
21GAEPD_WQX224 samples · 2012–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory